What are the indications for referring a patient with suspected parasitic infections to a specialist?

There are no specific UK guideline indications for referring patients with suspected parasitic infections to a specialist detailed in the provided context. However, referral to a specialist should be considered if the patient presents with symptoms or signs that raise suspicion of serious underlying conditions such as unexplained fever, night sweats, weight loss, pruritus, lymphadenopathy, or splenomegaly, which may mimic or complicate parasitic infections and suggest malignancy or other serious diseases requiring specialist assessment. In such cases, urgent referral pathways, including suspected cancer pathways, may be appropriate to exclude conditions like lymphoma or leukemia ¹.

Therefore, in the absence of specific parasitic infection referral criteria, consider specialist referral when there are systemic symptoms or signs that are unexplained or persistent, or when initial investigations suggest serious pathology beyond a straightforward parasitic infection ¹.